IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR INDIAN RIVER, MARTIN, OKEECHOBEE, AND ST. LUCIE COUNTIES, FLORIDA SECOND AMENDED ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 2018-06 (amended as to date of commission for newly elected judges only) RE: Judicial Assignments for 2019 WHEREAS, Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.215 states that [t]he chief judge shall assign judges to the courts and divisions, and shall determine the length of each assignment ; NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority conferred by Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.215, it is ORDERED, effective January 2, 2019 1, the assignments for the judges in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit are as follows: INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Honorable Cynthia L. Cox: All Domestic Relations Cases; including Injunctions for Protection; Assist with Mental Health Court/Veterans Court Honorable Janet C. Croom: All Civil Cases Honorable Michael J. Linn: All Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Cases, including Detention and Shelter Hearings; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; Felony, Delinquency and Dependency Drug Court Cases; All CINS/FINS Cases; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Cases; All Risk Protection Order Cases; Member of the Indian River County Children s Services Council; Assist with Mental Health Court and Veterans Court Honorable Dan L. Vaughn: All Felony Cases Honorable Nicole Menz: 50% of Indian River County Court Cases; Assist with Mental Health Court/Veterans Court Honorable David C. Morgan: 50% of Indian River County Court Cases 1 The following judges commissions are effective January 8, 2019 and thus, their assignments will commence on January 8, 2019: Judge Meadows; Judge Menz; and Judge Wallace.
MARTIN COUNTY Honorable Sherwood Bauer, Jr.: All Felony Cases Honorable Steven J. Levin: All Juvenile Dependency Cases, including Shelter Hearings; 75% of Civil Non-Jury Cases (from time of filing), excluding Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases; All Jimmy Ryce Cases; All Substance Abuse and Mental Health Cases; All Guardianship Cases; All Risk Protection Order Cases; Felony Drug Court; Juvenile Drug Court; Member of the Martin County Children s Services Council Honorable Michael J. McNicholas: All Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection Honorable Elizabeth A. Metzger: Mental Health Court; All Probate Cases; Assist with Felony, Family, Civil and Juvenile Divisions; Assist with Felony Drug Court Honorable William L. Roby: All Civil Jury Trial Cases and Mortgage Foreclosure Cases; Assist with Civil Non-Jury Cases Honorable Kathleen H. Roberts: One-third of Martin County Court Cases; Martin County Election Canvassing Board Honorable Darren Steele: One-third of Martin County Court Cases; All Delinquency Cases, including Detention Hearings; Assist with Felony Cases Honorable Jennifer A. Alcorta Waters: One-third of Martin County Court Cases; Assist with Felony and Juvenile Drug Court; Supervision of Traffic Magistrates for all Civil Traffic matters; 25% of Circuit Civil Non- Jury Cases from (from time of filing) excluding Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases OKEECHOBEE COUNTY Honorable Laurie E. Buchanan: All Civil Cases; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; Assist with Felony Cases; All Juvenile Dependency Cases, including Shelter Hearings daily; All Juvenile Delinquency Cases, including Detention Hearings; Truancy Court; Juvenile Drug Court; Adult Felony and Misdemeanor Drug Court; Assist with Mental Health Court; Member of the Okeechobee County Children s Services Council
Honorable Michael C. Heisey: All Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection; All Felony Cases; All Substance Abuse and Mental Health Cases; All Risk Protection Order Cases; Assist Juvenile Division with Detention and Shelter Hearings as Juvenile Judge Honorable Elizabeth A. Metzger: Assist with Mental Health Court Honorable William Wallace: All Okeechobee County Court Cases; Assist with Adult and Misdemeanor Drug Court; Assist with Juvenile Delinquency Cases, including Detention Hearings; Assist with Mental Health Court; Truancy Court ST. LUCIE COUNTY Honorable Robert E. Belanger: One-third of Felony Cases; All Veterans Court Cases Honorable Barbara W. Bronis: All Civil Jury Trial Cases; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; All Substance Abuse and Mental Health Cases; All Risk Protection Order Cases Honorable Cynthia L. Cox: Assist with Mental Health Court Honorable Victoria L. Griffin: 50% of Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection (L-Z of alphabet); Assist Juvenile Division with Detention and Shelter Hearings as Juvenile Judge Honorable Steven J. Levin: Adult Drug Court; Juvenile Drug Court Honorable James W. McCann: 50% of Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection (A-K of alphabet); Honorable Robert Meadows: All Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Cases, including Shelter and Detention Hearings; Member of St. Lucie County Children s Services Council; Assist with Mental Health Court Honorable Elizabeth A. Metzger: Assist with Mental Health Court, Drug Court, Family, Felony, Civil and Juvenile Divisions
Honorable Lawrence Mirman: All Non-Jury Civil Cases, including Residential Mortgage Foreclosures; Weekday First Appearance Hearings (in rotation with County Court Judges) Honorable Charles A. Schwab: One-third of Felony Cases; Assist with Adult Drug Court; Assist with Juvenile Drug Court; Assist with Juvenile Delinquency Cases Honorable Gary L. Sweet: One-third of Felony Cases Honorable Edmond W. Alonzo: All County Court Civil Cases and Landlord/Tenant Cases; All Traffic Infractions involving serious injury or death; All Traffic Magistrate recusals and/or disqualifications; 30% of Small Claim Cases including Replevin Honorable Daryl Isenhower: 20% of County Court Criminal Cases (A-C of alphabet); 70% of Small Claims Cases including Replevin; All Collections Court Honorable Kathryn Nelson: 40% of County Court Criminal Cases (Mf-Z of alphabet); St. Lucie County Misdemeanor Drug Court Honorable Philip J. Yacucci: 40% of County Court Criminal Cases (D-Me of alphabet); Domestic Violence Diversion Program (Criminal/DVDP); All County Ordinance Cases WEEKEND FIRST APPEARANCE All Circuit Court Judges assigned to St. Lucie County and Okeechobee County will be responsible, with the St. Lucie County Court Judges, for Weekend First Appearances, Shelter Hearings, and Detention Hearings in St. Lucie County. All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Indian River County will be responsible, in rotation with Indian River County Judges, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Indian River County. All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Martin County will be responsible, in rotation with Martin County Judges, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Martin County. All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Martin County and Indian River County will be responsible, in rotation with the Okeechobee County Judge, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Okeechobee County. Any County Court Judge in Martin and Indian River County may choose to assist with the Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Okeechobee County.
ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGES Honorable Steven J. Levin, Drug Court Honorable Janet C. Croom, Civil Division Honorable Sherwood Bauer, Criminal Division Honorable Robert E. Belanger, Veterans Court Honorable Cynthia L. Cox, Mental Health Court Honorable Lawrence M. Mirman, Appellate Division Honorable Cynthia L. Cox, Domestic Relations Division/Unified Family Court 2 APPELLATE DIVISION All Circuit and County Judges PROGRAM ASSIGNMENTS-JUDICIAL CHAIRPERSON FAMILY LAW ADVISORY GROUP. Judge Griffin-St. Lucie Judge McNicholas-Martin Judge Cox Indian River Judge Heisey-Okeechobee PRO BONO COMMITTEE...Judge Schwab BENCH/BAR PROFESSIONALISM Judge Sweet JURY MANAGEMENT Judge Morgan SMALL CLAIMS MEDIATION Judge Steele TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE Judge Morgan, Chair Members: Judge Belanger, Judge Bronis, Judge Buchanan, Judge Levin, Judge Metzger, Judge Mirman, Judge Roby FUTURE GROWTH AND LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE Judge Schwab, Chair Members: Judge Bauer, Judge Belanger, Judge Mirman, Judge Morgan, Judge Yacucci, Judge Metzger 2 Includes Juvenile Division
TRIAL COURT SECURITY COMMITTEE Judge Belanger, Chair Members: Judge Heisey, Judge McNicholas, Judge Metzger, Judge Morgan, Judge Roberts, Judge Schwab, Judge Waters DONE AND ORDERED in Stuart, Martin County, Florida this 5 th day of December, 2018. ELIZABETH A. METZGER Chief Judge Copies furnished to: All Judges in the 19 th Judicial Circuit All Clerks of Court in the 19 th Judicial Circuit All Law Libraries in the 19 th Judicial Circuit State Attorney s Office Public Defender s Office Sheriffs Departments Police Departments Media